An allegory to the famous A Book of Five Rings by legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto, Way of the Baby reflects elements of the structure, tone, and insights of Musashi’s book. While Musashi explains the Way in terms of strategies for sword fighting and martial arts, Way of the Baby takes the novel approach of paralleling these concepts with the techniques and strategies babies use for growth and mastering parents.
While the comparison of the techniques of a baby with those of a master of martial arts may seem surprising to some, taking a closer look at the amazing developmental abilities of a baby can be enlightening. As Mark McBennett, CEO of Japan Zone writes of Way of the Baby:
“If you're wondering about the title, it is play on the famous "A Book of Five Rings" by the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, perhaps the most famous samurai of them all. All of the traditional Japanese arts have their own "way", such as the Way of Tea (sado), the Way of the Sword (kendo), even the Way of Softness (judo). The core teaching of all of them is not so much to "practice" or "perform" the way, but to do so until you reach a point where it simply flows from you. What better example could you have for how a baby lives from moment to moment - they "are" the way. “
Way of the Baby is written to be appealing to observant parents as well as anyone interested in a fresh look into topics such as development and strategy. Threads of Japanese culture and Zen spiritual thought are also woven throughout the book to create a novel effect and tone that encourages deeper exploration. In addition, those familiar with A Book of Five Rings should enjoy the references to the ideas of Musashi, and perhaps even gain a greater appreciation for some familiar concepts viewed through a different perspective. As Musashi wrote, “…if you know the way broadly you will see it in everything.”
|
